A 64-year-old man from Lowestoft died after re-submerging while diving off the coast of Abu Dhabi, an inquest has heard.

Kevin McGuire, of Pakefield Street, visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital for spells of three months at a time through his work as a vocational trainer.

At an inquest yesterday, Suffolk area coroner Nigel Parsley said his office had received information from UAE authorities on the circumstances surrounding his death.

He said Mr McGuire had gone on a diving trip on May 19 last year.

'Kevin was working in the UAE and would be there three months at a time,' he said.

'He took a refresher course the morning of the dive. It was a shallow 7m dive.

'He came to the surface, gave a thumbs up and then collapsed.'

He added that those on the boat tried to resuscitate Mr McGuire but with no success.

Mr Parsley said it had been a difficult case to investigate, as the UAE authorities had not sent, or in some cases not even acknowledged requests, for further information.

An initial post mortem examination conducted in the UAE had concluded Mr McGuire died as a result of Caisson disease, also known as decompression sickness or the bends.

However, Mr Parsley said: 'When the case came back I spoke to the doctor in charge of Royal Navy diving and had a brief discussion about Kevin's case.

'He said the bends (decompression sickness) is an unusual cause of death.

'He said it was something that divers suffer from but do not often die. Because it was a shallow dive he said it was unlikely to be the bends.'

Following a second post mortem examination in the UK, pathologist Dr John Chapman discovered Mr McGuire had an enlarged heart but could not be certain that this was the cause of death.

Mr Parsley said he would record the medical cause of death as 'unascertained'.

He said: 'I will have to record an open conclusion.

'I cannot say it was an accident, I cannot say it was misadventure, I cannot say it was because of the diving. Therefore in relation to the conclusion I will have to give an open conclusion.'

Mr McGuire's brother-in-law Ron Taylor told the inquest: 'He loved the water. He used to be a lifeguard for 30 years.'